Friend?
by nierest
Summary: After living most of your life in the Aerie, your mother finally makes the decision to move to a new town. There, you meet a young boy named Nier, and his little sister Yonah. (Fem)reader x (Replicant)Nier.


_Request from Wattpad. There will be two parts. AlsoIwrotethisagesagoandIjustrealisedIhaven'tpostedityet_

 _Key: Y/N = Your name_

 _L/N = Last name_

 _S/C = Skin colour (if you're stuck coming up with a word for yours, think of the foundation you use)_

 _H/C = Hair colour_

 _E/C = Eye colour_

When you first met Nier, you'd only just moved from the Aerie and had finished settling down. It was the day your mother first set up shop—you were only around 16 at the time, yet still sheltered about the ways of the world outside your hometown. You weren't completely brainwashed by the people of the Aerie, though. When things got too bad, you would always try your hardest to lighten the mood or to put a stop to the strife. This meant most of the citizens weren't a fan of you; even the adults looked at you with disdain, and wished you would just _conform_. Not that you were really a rebel, you just felt guilty. Guilty that you were born into that kind of society and ordered to just 'go along with it'. No one openly brought up their dislike for you around you, though. Not that any of that mattered—they didn't project their anger onto you, which meant you lived a relatively good life with your mother; it wasn't until you tried to calm down a particularly violent boy did things take a turn for the worse. He held a great influence, see—the adults absolutely _adored_ this boy. Anyone who said anything negative about him was shot down and declared a 'liar', ruining their social lives forever. Sadly, you became one of those people. The aggression became so horrendous that you and your mother were forced to run from the village, bringing only what you could carry with you.

The journey was not an easy one, Shades lurked in the shadows and leapt hungrily towards both yourself and your mother. Luckily, the day you were driven out was a sunny one, which meant most of the Shades dissolved before they could lay a hand on you. But this didn't mean you weren't scared shitless by the monsters in the shadows; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Not only did the Shades get on your nerves, but you also had aggressive boars, sheep and goats to look out for—all of which only helped to tire you out. By the time you arrived at the closest village, both you and your mother were exhausted. The burden in the form of (what remained of) your home lay heavy across your back and arms, and as soon as you breached the Northern Gate, you fell to the floor out of relief. Only moments later did two red-headed women, Devola and Popola, come to you and your mother's aid. With what G your mum had in possession, she was able to buy a humble home in the village's shopping district. It took only a few days for you two to properly move in and set up shop at the front of your modest house, and in those few days you had learnt that this village was already better than the Aerie. Not only was that horrendous Aerie wind finally out of your hair, but people actually cared about each other here. It seemed the townspeople doted on two people in particular; a deathly ill girl called Yonah, and her elder brother, Nier. You tried asking questions about the two, only to be dismissed by the words; "you'll meet Nier soon enough". And meet him you did.

* * *

The day you met Nier, the sky was cloudy and the village was covered in the sky's very shadow. Your mother had just finished selling some herbs to her first ever customer, and the young Nier was her second. You stood to the side, fiddling with and arranging your wares appropriately, and you caught the silver-haired boy sending glances your way. The moment you returned his short stares, however, he would quickly avert his gaze back to your mother. You were understandably puzzled by this—did you have something on your face, or did you do something wrong? You couldn't quite place a finger on just why he kept looking at you so much. Once he bought a bunch of medicinal herbs, he decided to strike up a conversation with your mother. You tuned them out, trying to distract and busy yourself with the products your mum was selling. It wasn't until your name was spoken that you looked towards the pair, your attention officially grabbed.

"Y/N, get over here!" You heard your mother beckon. Despite the context of her words, she wasn't being overly aggressive towards you. You nodded once, shuffling over to meet your mum and the boy in front of her. "Y/N, this is Nier. He lives past the shopping district, near the library. And he's your age! You've never met anyone close to your age, have you?" Your mother introduced you two, pushing you forward to stand in front of the boy. You noticed the strange flick of his fringe immediately, and his outlandish up-do didn't fail to catch your eye either. He smiled—a friendly, calm yet boyish smile. You couldn't help but feel your lips curl up in response.

"Hey, Y/N. I'm Nier," he greeted, extending his hand out towards you, "I'm glad to see there's another kid in town. Do you want me to show you around?" He asked, demeanour friendly and body lax. You were surprised by the openness of Nier and the townspeople, as they weren't quite what you were used to. You audibly gulped, unsure of what to do in a situation like this. You weren't used to such hospitality.

"Uhh… OK. Sure." You replied, grabbing his outstretched hand with your S/C one. He shook your hand gladly, happy to know he hadn't crossed any sort of line you might have had. He'd heard you were from the Aerie from Devola and Popola, and the only thing he knew about that village was how isolated and vile the people could be. He figured you had left because of that, and he was prepared to do whatever he could to make you comfortable and not feel left out. Normally you were more suspicious of people's intentions, but Nier seemed so earnest that you couldn't help but trust him and follow his lead.

"We'll be right back, Mrs L/N!" He bid farewell to your mum, and she giggled in response. You both let go of each other's hands, and you followed behind him. "So, as you know, this is the shopping district. It's actually the only district in town…" he began, his words fading out of your thoughts. You were distracted by everything else but his voice; you noticed how different his clothes were from yours—it was as if you both came from starkly different cultures, despite your hometown being one plain between his. He wore mainly grey and white, his clothes completely differing from your own style of clothing. What stood out to you the most was the sword sheathed behind him, looking far too big for his small body to carry. You observed how much taller you were than him—he certainly didn't look your age. You noticed every stride his slender legs took, how his knees would bend and snap with every step forward. You looked at his arms, noticing that even though they were thin, they still held enough muscle to swing his sword. You noticed how his hair rustled in the soft breeze, his unique up-do bobbing every now and then as he walked. You were mesmerised by Nier—by the pale, short boy in front of you. You were brought back to reality once you heard your name, and you couldn't help but jump at the attention.

"Y/N. Are you listening?" He queried, turning around to look at you. He caught you by surprise, and a gasp couldn't help but escape your lips. You began to fiddle with your H/C locks, trying to forget how immersed by him you were.

"Ah, yes! Yes, of course I was," You replied, trying not to look into his slate-blue gaze, "I was just, uh, kinda distracted by those kids at the water fountain! They were laughing… and I guess I wanted to know what was so funny." You nervously laughed, looking up and to the left. No way in hell were you going to admit you were too busy staring at him to pay attention.

"Ohhhh." Nier let out a boyish chuckle, the most precious sound you had ever heard. You swept your hair behind your ear, letting out a small smile. You couldn't help yourself—his small joy was oddly contagious. "What'd they say?" He queried, eyes full of curiosity. You froze, and you struggled to come up with something funny enough to pass as an excuse for blatantly ignoring his tour. A joke eventually surfaced in your mind, and you figured it might pass.

"Knock-knock." You spoke, a small smirk playing on your soft lips. Nier twirled on his heel, sheathed sword swinging behind him. He began to walk, looking back at you and motioning you to follow him. You complied.

"Who's there?" He responded, actually excited about what the beautiful girl following him had to say. You caught up to him, standing by his side with both your hands behind your back.

"Amos." You replied, internally praying that this would work out fine. He raised a single brow, turning his head to the side to face you.

"Amos who?" He prompted. Nier tried to think up what the answer could be, but nothing that made sense came to mind.

"A mosquitoooooo!" You revealed, raising both arms in the air. You had to admit, you did stupid things when you were trying to cover up the truth. Nier stared at you, surprised and captivated by your pure enthusiasm. Only it wasn't enthusiasm, it was you trying your hardest not to get busted for being a complete creep. You continued to drag out the 'o', slowly letting it die out as the boy you tried to amuse didn't seem to respond at all. You quickly brought your hands back down to your sides, looking to the right. "… Sorry. I thought it was funny." You pouted, crossing your arms. He stared a little longer before bursting out into laughter. You looked at him and blinked, completely shocked at his incredibly late reaction.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Y/N," He guffawed, bending over and resting his palms on his knees, "that just wasn't what I was expecting! I've never heard that before!" He giggled, straightening his posture and dusting off his top. To you, his laugh sounded more beautiful than the sweetest birdsong.

"Really?" You pondered, leaning forward as you walked out of the shopping district. He gave an honest nod, and you were surprised by just how genuine this boy could be.

"It _is_ kind of a dad joke, though," he teased, making your cheeks turn pink, "don't lie to me. You're actually a forty-year-old dad, aren't you?" You raised your hands up, lowering your head in defeat.

"You got me! How'd you find out so quick?" You laughed, feeling more at ease than you had in a long time. Nier grinned.

"Let's just call it instinct and say the total dad joke wasn't a dead giveaway." He chortled, loving the reaction he got out of you. You shrugged, your tiny smile never leaving your lips. Suddenly Nier remembered why he dragged you out here in the first place, and ran ahead of you.

"Hey, where are you going?" You asked, jogging to catch up to him. Nier let out a small grin, resting his head on palms raised behind his neck.

"I'm gonna show you the library. It's really the only other part of town, after all." He grinned, looking back at you with a twinkle in his eye. He was _way_ too into this tour. "I just gotta check up on my sister first." He replied, letting you catch up to him. You nodded, your H/C hair waving about in the calm breeze. You both made your way up the hill to the silver-haired boy's house, and he scaled it with no difficulty. You, however, were a little bit breathless. Nier noticed you fell behind him once you both reached the fence in front of his house, and he turned around to help you out. The young boy patted you on the back, trying to comfort you and help you breathe. "You ok, Y/N?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed in concern. It wasn't like you were dying—if anything, it felt like you'd just climbed three flights of stairs. It was a manageable discomfort, but you guessed this was just Nier's brotherly worry showing. You waved your hand dismissively before straightening your back, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine," you replied, giving a thumbs up, "besides the other day, I've never really had to run before, so I guess I'm not used to it. Sorry about that." You apologised, a little embarrassed about how unfit you were. No one really ran around in the Aerie; after all, one wrong step meant falling to your death. Nier shook his head, a sorrowful expression etched across his young face. "Come on, Nier. Don't make that face!" You cheered, fist-pumping the air. "Knock-knock?"

"… Who's there?" He responded, sad face not faltering. You refused to let his frown get you down.

"Amos." You replied simply, a smirk playing on your lips. Nier looked into your E/C eyes.

"Amos who?" He prompted once more, perking up a bit. _That_ was what you wanted.

"A mosquitooooooo!" You shouted, repeating the gag once more. The silver-haired boy in front of you couldn't help but let out a tiny chuckle. "See? I'm totally fine. I've still got a wicked sense of humour, so I don't think anything's wrong."

"Ha, I guess you're right." He breathed, walking back towards his front door, "I won't be too long. You can wait outside if you want." He said, twisting the knob to his house. You shook your head, looking down at the slightly shorter boy.

"Is it ok if I see her?" You asked, your enthusiasm from before dying down. You became your sheepish self once more, and Nier couldn't help but smile. Sometimes you reminded him of his sister, and sometimes not. What he could say for certain was that he had a newfound desire to protect you. One look at your nervous E/C eyes pulled at something within him, triggering his older brother desire to guard the weak. Not that you _were_ weak, but in this moment, in his eyes, you were in a state of temporary vulnerability. That was the air around you, at least. Nier wondered how a simple question and a simple look could make him feel this way. He pushed the thought out of his mind and nodded his head, gravity-defying fringe bobbing with him.

"Of course. She'd love to see you." He responded, opening the door for you. You bowed your head quickly, taking a quiet step into his two-story house. He closed the door behind you, walking past your still form and motioning you to follow him before you had the opportunity to get lost in the details of the room. You quickly chased after him, boots making little pitter-patters against the wooden stairs. You looked past Nier's small shoulder and saw an even smaller girl sitting up in a single bed, a gleeful smile plastered across her delicate face.

"Nier!" She called, pushing herself up from off the bed. She leapt at her big brother, soaring through the air, and Nier rushed forward to catch her. He brought the silver-haired girl up to his face, his brows furrowed.

"Don't do that again, Yonah. You could've fallen." He spoke, voice stern. It was funny seeing a boy so young scolding what looked to be a six-year-old girl. She just grinned, wrapping her thin arms around Nier's neck.

"I'm sorry, big bro," she said, nuzzling into his chest, "I just missed you. I haven't seen you since this morning! Where have you been?" The short-haired girl questioned, not lifting her face from her big brother's chest. Nier seemed almost hesitant to answer.

"I've been out on a job," He answered, pulling away from Yonah, "and look at what I bought you." He smiled, tone friendly. You could see in his eyes just how much he loved the little girl, and you couldn't help but smile. The silver-haired boy pulled out a bunch of medicinal herbs from his pant pocket, showing them off to his little sister.

"Thanks, big bro," She responded, a sad smile on her face. It was a strange expression, a mix of both gratitude and guilt. She reached forward and grabbed the herbs, looking over Nier's shoulder and making contact with your E/C eyes. She seemed surprised for a moment, before she raised a tiny hand to wave at you. "Hello! I've never seen you before. Are you Nier's friend?" She queried, pulling the herbs close to her chest. Nier must have forgotten you were there for a few seconds and quickly turned his head to look at you, motioning you forward. You took a few steps forward until you were no longer at the top of the staircase, and finally in the bedroom.

"Yonah, this is Y/N," He introduced, standing next to his petite sister, "She's moved here from the Aerie. I got the herbs from her mum." He spoke, his voice always full of love whenever he spoke to his sister. You grinned, waving your hand at her, and she smiled back. It was a shy smile, and she seemed a little wary around you. You could tell she was trying to hide it and seem brave in front of her brother, so you thought being your friendliest around her was the best idea so you wouldn't bust her brave façade.

"Hey, Yonah. Nice to meet you," You calmly spoke, trying to establish that you meant no harm. The message seemed to come across, and she managed to stop hiding behind her brother's arm. She still clung to it, but it looked like she was much more comfortable around you.

"Nice to meet you, too, Y/N." She spoke, voice quiet. You couldn't help but realise how alike she was to a doll; her big, grey eyes, small nose and lips along with her bobbed, silver hair gave her an air of fragility. Her skin was incredibly pale, too—even more pale than Nier's. You guessed she hadn't seen the sun in a while.

"How old are you, Yonah?" You asked, trying to be as approachable as you could. Nier cast a grateful glance your way before returning his gaze to his young sister.

"Six!" She piped up, letting go of her brother's arm to show her age on her fingers, "… and a half." She boasted, a little smile adorning her doll-like face.

"Ooooh, you're catching up to me!" You grinned, crossing your arms. She looked at you with wide eyes.

"… How old are you, Y/N?" She queried, tilting her head.

"I'm sixteen," You answered, "I'd show you on my fingers but I don't have enough." You chuckled, raising a single hand to your chin.

"Ohhhh, you're a year older than Nier!" Yonah gasped, "That must be why you're so much taller than him." A bead of sweat dropped down the elder brother's face and he instantly looked uncomfortable.

"Okay, that's enough…" He spoke, voice light and nervous. Yonah giggled at his response, and then her eyes began to widen. Her little laugh started turning more violent, coughs replacing what was once her cheeky chuckle. Nier instantly guided Yonah to her bed as her coughs made her body convulse and her face contort in pain, and you felt panic running through your veins.

"Oh, my god… are you ok?" You asked Yonah, voice laced with concern whilst you leant over her bed. She was sweating buckets, her skin turning grey and her eyes clenched tightly shut. She was trying so hard to breathe, but every inhale caught in her throat and a nasty cough would soon replace it. Nier quickly pulled you back from the bed, a scowl darkening his boyish features.

"Do you really think she can answer you when she's coughing like this?" He shouted, his stance protective. He held an arm out in front of Yonah and glared at you for a few more seconds before diverting his attention towards the coughing girl. You stood still, too bewildered to say or do anything except stand. It took you a few more seconds to realise that Yonah was in pain and needed help.

"Do you need me to get anything? Do you have any medicine? Do you want me to brew those herbs into a—" You started before you were interrupted by Nier's stern voice.

"I need you to wait outside." He said, switching to big brother mode. You gulped, nodded and headed down the stairs and out the door. You leant against the wall outside, right next to the door. You looked down at your hands, then at the ground. Yonah's coughing was far too violent to be allergies or a cold, and you were stumped as to what might have caused her sudden fit. You scrunched up your face in thought, wondering just what the hell was up with her. She was fine one minute, then dying the next. And Nier. Nier… He changed. You couldn't underestimate an older brother's will to protect his sister, you supposed.

You let your back slide down the brick wall, and looked up to the sky. It was still cloudy, and the shadows cast down by the clouds covered the entire village. It was perfect Shade weather, and it only reminded you of your times in the Aerie. You never got to see the cloudy sky, as everyone in the village was told to stay in their homes in fear of Shade attacks. Not that the darkness of the clouds made much of a difference, anyway—the high cliffs on either side of your hometown meant that it was perpetually covered in shadow no matter the weather. Everyone was lucky that the Shades weren't particularly strong nor violent, besides for one of them. A huge one, with a shark-like face and glowing, white eyes. You recalled that the Shade had actually _killed_ someone before. You struggled to remember who it was, and felt guilty for forgetting about them. You shifted through your memories, but you just couldn't figure it out. You knew it was an older lady, but her name escaped your mind. You shook your head, refusing to lose yourself in your memories any further. You weren't in the Aerie anymore. You were away from all of those cruel, terrified people. Cruel, terrified people… Who were they cruel to and scared of again? There was a girl, a little older than you, with grey hair…

You brought your knees up to your chin and let out a sigh. You discovered you had a bad habit of losing yourself in both your thoughts and surroundings. You were actually so lost in thought that you hadn't noticed a person enter your surroundings, until he called your name.

"Y/N." A familiar voice spoke, a quiet softness about it. You looked up and saw Nier standing, back facing the door. He stood next to you, refusing to look your way. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

"… It's fine." You responded, looking up at the sky once more. You two stood in silence, Nier's eyes focused on his feet, and yours on the grey sky. You could hear him fiddling with his hands, his gloves rustling as he did so. He seemed restless, maybe nervous. You inhaled and took in the fresh air. "How sick is she?" You asked, not daring to look him in the eye.

"Very," he responded after a pause, slowly shifting his gaze from his boots to you, "she has the Black Scrawl. It's incurable, but I'm doing all I can to relieve the pain. Yonah deserves that, at least." You slowly tilted your head, H/C locks toppling over your eyes. You tucked the loose hair behind your ear and looked into Nier's light blue eyes. Instantly, all of his feelings rushed into you; sadness, anger, helplessness, despair, the love he held for his sister. You could feel everything he felt towards Yonah and her illness. It began piling on top of you, and you looked to the sky once more. His blue eyes screamed for a help he knew he would never receive, and his emotions were too much for you to handle. If you had spent a second longer looking into the painful blue that was his soul, you were afraid you'd fall into those feelings and never get out again. You felt Nier's eyes linger on you for a moment before they turned towards the sky.

"That's horrible…" was the only thing you could mutter. You weren't certain if you were referring to purely Yonah's illness, or to the unbelievable pain Nier was going through as well. Nier didn't respond, but instead sunk down on the ground with you, his back leaning against the door. "I didn't know the Black Scrawl was here, too."

"… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you go through this," he muttered, running a hand through his messy fringe, "You don't need to know what I'm going through, and I didn't want you to. Not now, when I'm supposed to be giving you a 'tour of the town'." His voice sounded almost scornful as he emphasised the last four words flatly, letting out a long sigh. You looked towards him once more, and saw him staring straight ahead at the village. It was true that this isn't what you expected—a stranger showing you his world the first time you meet can be overwhelming—but it wasn't exactly something you didn't want to ever go through. In fact, you felt closer to Nier than before. You felt the need to help him, to guard him, to _protect_ him. The fact that he looked so young only brought out your instincts more, too. You felt almost as if you were his big sister when you saw him like this.

"… Wanna show me the library?" You asked, making him turn his head in surprise. His face pretty much said what he wanted to say; 'you still want to hang out with me?'. He gave you a small smile and a nod, taking a deep breath before standing up.

"Yeah, sure. You ready to go?" He asked, his neutral expression returning, "There's a big hill though. I dunno if you'll be able to make it." He teased, trying to lighten the mood. You stood up and began to walk past him until he was facing your back.

"I'll race you." You declared, turning around to meet him in the face. He seemed taken aback by your challenge, but only for a moment. A smug smile graced his young lips before he charged ahead of you, leaving you in the dust. "Hey, that's not fair! I wasn't ready!"

"Life isn't fair, Y/N!" He called back, turning his head to flash you a cheeky grin, "Now come on before I beat you _too_ badly!"

* * *

"Uggghh…" you groaned, bending over and resting your hands on your knees, "I can't believe you could sprint that entire length, Nier. You're unreal."

"Maybe you just need to train more, Y/N." He smiled, not the least bit out of breath from the run. He dashed up the flight of stairs to the library, missing every second step and he still didn't feel worn out in the slightest. You inhaled and exhaled, arching and stretching your back to give it a crack. You could see Nier visibly cringe at the sickening sound, and you gave him a smirk before he quickly turned away, clearly embarrassed by his uneasiness at the noise. You had to admit that you weren't the fastest runner, but you were definitely flexible. How far you could bend your back was proof of that, and the loud cracks that came from your spine were a sweet relief.

"Maybe I do." You spoke, cracking your knuckles. You could see him grit his teeth at the noise, and you couldn't help but chuckle. You decided not to bring it up to spare him the embarrassment. "Anyway, the library. What's so special about it?" You asked, and Nier hurried to open the huge double doors to the shrine of information.

"I think you'll see." He spoke, his lips curled up into a sweet smile. You stood beside him as he pushed the massive doors open, and led you inside.

You were taken aback. There had never been anything like this in the Aerie—in fact, most of your hometown's populace didn't even know how to read, including adults. There was no need for a library there. But this… this massive building filled to the brim with books made your heart soar. You had never seen anything like it before, and you had to admit, you were mystified. Thousands of books lined the walls, all old and worn, and two staircases stood guarding another giant double door to the back of the room. Dull light filtered in through the windows high on the walls and ceilings, and you could feel an inkling of warmth emanating from them. Nier stepped past you, walking towards the rightmost staircase. You followed him, legs already aching from the sprint you just lost. Nier placed a gentle hand on your shoulder blade, helping you scale the stairs. At first the action took you off guard—no one had really ever helped you out like this before. You dismissed it as Nier just being his normal, brotherly self and made it to the second floor with his encouragement. You stood at the edge of the railing, looking down at the first floor of the library from the second floor. The second story was simply a balcony cut around the edge of the room, leaving the whole centre of the second floor as space to let the library be more open. You walked towards the shelves that lined the old walls and ran your fingers over the spines of the books, finding solace and satisfaction in their time-worn covers and ancient smell. You turned to Nier and he smiled, loving how amused you were at the sight of what seemed like such a simple thing to him. In this moment, you reminded him of Yonah; you were so eager to come to the library, and you were loving every minute of it, just like his sister whenever she visited. You suddenly realised you were on the other side of the balcony when you came back to your senses, and noticed how far away the silver-haired boy was from you. You flashed him a heartfelt grin, and brought both hands to hover over your heart. You knew it was the right decision to move here. The town, the library, Nier… they made it all worth it. You couldn't believe how attached you felt to the young boy in less than a day, but you couldn't help yourself. He was kind, caring and everything you had never had before. He was the unknown. He was an adventure.

You twirled on your heel and made your way back to where Nier was standing, where he was watching you with a serious expression. You leaned on the railing in front of him, a genuine smile spread across your face. God, you hadn't smiled like this in ages. Nier couldn't help but be absorbed by it, and he found the same gentle smile appearing on himself as well.

"Thanks for showing me the library," you said, flicking your H/C hair out of your face, "I've never been to one before." Nier's eyes widened at your statement, and then he began to truly understand why you were so excited by the building.

"You mean the Aerie doesn't have a library?" He asked, leaning against a book shelf. You nodded, and he whistled. "Wow… sounds like it sucks there."

"Do you come here a lot?" You queried, tilting your head. You swung your legs around, feeling revitalised after touching all the books around the room. The blue eyed boy simply shook his head.

"No. But Yonah does, though." He sighed, "She sneaks out sometimes. She can be such a handful… but at least I know Devola and Popola are here to keep an eye on her." You furrowed your brows, trying to recall just who Devola and Popola were. Nier noticed your troublesome expression and decided to fill you in, "They're the red-headed twins. Devola plays guitar and sings a lot. Meanwhile, Popola is the village chief. She helps everyone out whenever she can, but she's mainly in her office." Your E/C eyes suddenly lit up and you hit the palm of your hand with your fist, finally realising who they were.

"Oh! They're the twins. They helped us out when we came here," you remembered, proud of your little light bulb moment. "They also told us there was an empty house and that we could buy it. If it weren't for them, I wonder just how well we would've done on our own." Nier simply shrugged and looked around the corner, at a single wooden door.

"Speaking of Popola…" He muttered, stepping away from the book shelf and walking towards the object of his attention, "I need to see if she has any jobs for me. I'll be right back." He spoke, disappearing beyond the small door before you had the chance to reply. You turned away from the shelves and looked down at the lower floor from the balcony, inhaling the comforting scent of the books. Something about them just seemed so… _right_. Like this smell meant something to you, yet you had never smelt anything like it. It smelled like home, like you were in your element.

You stepped away from the railing and strolled towards the books once more, before plucking a book with a(n) F/C cover from the shelf. You flipped over to the first page and noticed it wasn't written in the Angelic Scripture you knew, but in a much more ancient language. You tried turning the book on its side, upside down, and even trying to relate it to Angelic Script—which you had no luck with. What was this book even doing in the library? It would take a master historian or scholar to fully decode it—and yet here it was, in front of little old you, resting in your tiny S/C palms. You carefully closed the book, as to not tempt any dust to come flying out, and delicately placed it back where you found it. The language bothered you, a lot. It seemed so familiar, so close, but it was so foreign and far away. You knew it was nothing you had ever seen before—you only had three books back in the Aerie (which you sadly left behind), and they were all written in your native alphabet. You knew there couldn't be a different language in every town, as there was no dialect differentiating each village from the next. You weren't usually one to worry over such trivial matters, but something in the back of your mind wouldn't let the F/C book go. You shrugged, taking your time walking down the stairs to the first floor.

This time, you picked a deep brown book with silver lining from the shelf. It was the dustiest one out of all the other books, which is what drew you to it in the first place. You opened the book to the first page, unleashing the heavenly smell of old books right in your face. You breathed in the musky odour, savouring the scent and enjoying every second of it. You probably looked like a total weirdo, but lucky for you, the library was completely empty now that Nier had gone into Popola's office. You turned the page, and was met with a language you could actually understand. You breathed a sigh of relief, happy that you could at least read some of the books in the library.

Your eyes flicked through the dusty tome, and you furrowed your brows in concentration. These words were _way_ too big for you. So much for being able to read the library's books. You cursed your uneducated upbringing and put the book back where you found it, letting out a depressed sigh. A voice brought you out of your melancholy state from out of the blue, making you jump.

"Hey." The voice calmly spoke. You turned around and it was Nier, again. You swore to god he kept popping up out of nowhere to mess with you. "You sure do space out a lot, you know?"

"… Huh. I guess I do." You breathed, heart rate slowing. He really did scare you. "By the way, could you not sneak up on me next time? You're gonna give me a heart attack!" Nier simply chuckled. You felt all your anger melt away at his sweet laugh, and a feeling of relaxation came over you.

"Well, I wouldn't really call that sneaking." He spoke, walking past you and towards the door. "… Anyway, Popola told me Devola might have a job for me, so I'll be going. Do you want me to walk you back to the shopping district? It's dangerous to walk around with so little sun. You never know when the Shades will attack." You smiled at his kind intentions, and nodded in response. You tapped your brown boots on the floor, skipping past the silver-haired boy. You stopped and let him catch up to you, before opening one of the doors for him.

"After you, good sir," you said with a bow, earning a small chuckle from Nier.

"You're older than me," He pointed out, walking past you and into the shadowy outside, " _dad_."

"If you start calling me dad, I might never express my comedic genius ever again!" You shouted dramatically, clutching at your F/C top for effect. Nier looked at you strangely before shaking his head, a tiny grin clearly evident on his face.

"Ok, then. Come on, let me walk you home." He said, waiting for you at the start of the steps down the hill. You nodded, catching up to him and strolling down the staircase alongside him. You saw Nier glance towards his house for a moment, and it looked like he was thinking of his younger sister. You decided to pretend you didn't notice, and continued on in a blissful silence.

You passed by a few people strolling outside of the shopping district, but there were far less people than usual. You noticed Devola would usually sit by the plaza outside the shopping district, but she hadn't been out all day. She must be worried about the Shades, you simply dismissed, and walked back into the district with Nier by your side.

"Thanks for showing me around, Nier," you said, hands behind your back, "this has probably been the best day of my life." Nier blushed, looking up and away.

"Uh… thanks?" He replied, running a hand through his untamed hair, "It was nothing. I was just excited to see someone around my age for once. Most of the other kids here are as old as Yonah or younger…" he sighed, locking eyes with you once more, "but thanks. Again. Whenever I'm not busy with work or Yonah, I'll come by and see you. If that's ok?" He asked, eyes giving away all the hope he had for a positive response. You looked down at the slightly shorter boy and grinned, happy that he would actually want to hang out with you.

"Alright, _friend_." You replied, holding out your hand for him to shake. Now it was his turn to be confused.

"Friend?" He repeated, a brow quirked. You gulped, wondering if you had jumped the gun.

"Or… soon-to-be-friend…?" You suggested, cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. Nier shook his head and grabbed your hand, shaking it firmly.

"No. Friend." He spoke, a small smile playing across his lips, "I like friend more." You couldn't help but hum at his response, and you both withdrew your hands.

"See you, Nier." You said your goodbye, waving after him. He nodded.

"Good bye, Y/N." He responded, waving before turning to leave towards the tavern. You couldn't help but smile to yourself. This village was so different from what you'd experienced your whole time in the Aerie, and it was great. You had never met anyone quite like Nier, and you found yourself looking forward to the next day. You skipped all the way back home, happy that the day had been so successful _and_ you had your first friend outside of the Aerie.

Your first genuine friend.


End file.
